A fourth candidate appears in PA-07 as Pinsley joins Democratic race
Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley has joined a crowded race for the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District.
Pinsley, a native of South Whitehall Township, is the fourth Dem to enter the contest, joining Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure, former federal prosecutor Ryan Crosswell, and community leader and former Bob Casey Jr. staffer Carol Obando-Derstine.
Pinsley is quite familiar with campaigning, as he ran for Pennsylvania Auditor General in 2024 and has also sought to represent Lehigh County on two separate occasions in the state Senate.
He is not made a formal announcement of his entry into the race but has filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.
Pinsley, a 1991 graduate of Kutztown University, earned his MBA from Indiana University in 2002. He has served as Lehigh County Controller since January 2020 and is president of DermaMed Solutions that assists spa owners, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and other skincare and medical professionals grow their practices by offering additional services.
The 7th Congressional District in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is perhaps the biggest battleground district in the United States and the party that holds the seat may also be the one that controls the majority in the U.S. House.
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie defeated incumbent Susan Wild by 5,000 votes in 2024 and will face a challenger in 2026 from among the Democratic quartet. He has financial backing from such recognizable names such as Jeffrey Yass, Ross Perot Jr., Charles Schwab, Steve Wynn, Roger Penske, and the Winklevoss twins – Cameron and Tyler.
Steve Ulrich is the managing editor of PoliticsPA, where this article first appeared.
